TOMMYSLAV: DEAR FUTURE HUSBAND – EPISODE 14

I was the first to break away from the kiss, it all felt awkward, not that David wasn’t a ‘good kisser’, but it just didn’t feel right. A wry smile lurked around David’s lips. “I am sorry.” He said. I raised an eyebrow. “Oh well…technically, I don’t regret it.” He said and laughed. I threw a punch at him in his waist. “Oh-ho! Is that your best?” he asked, laughing.

“Why did you kiss me?”

He stopped and stared at me. “I don’t know…I just knew that I wanted to, and I did.”

I rubbed my hand against my forehead. “David, what are we doing?”

He shrugged. “We are trying to connect.”

I cleared my throat. “Connect? How’s that going for you? Kissing me doesn’t show any connection.”

He smiled. “Kimberly, you kissed back. That’s a good sign, we’ll do fine, better than our parents.” He said and started the engine.

I felt foolish as the car moved. To David, this was more of a connection, trying to make our marriage better than our parents, but I was slowly starting to like him more. I turned my face towards the mirror and drowned in my thoughts.

David stopped the car. “What?” I asked. “Why are we stopping?” I probed.

“Kim, do you love me?” he asked.

I was lost for words as I stared at him. “I don’t understand.”

He nodded. “Kimberly, I am sorry I kissed you, but all I wanted was to make us a little closer, so we could tolerate one another.” He started. I opened my mouth to talk but he continued. “You don’t need to feel anything towards me, and if this kiss is making it weird between us, I am sorry.” He reiterated.

“David. I haven’t complained, have I?”

He sighed. “But you haven’t said anything since I started driving. Are you mad at me?” I shook my head in disagreement. “Kim, I am sorry.” He added.

I rolled my eyes. “Stop it, David.

He nodded. “At least, take my apologies, it is obvious you didn’t like the fact that I kissed you and I regret that. I just thought we could have something special.”

He grinned. “Kimberly, did you think I was serious about the apologies?” he scoffed. “Why should I be sorry for kissing any lady, not to talk of my fiancée?” he started the car’s engine and drove on. “What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked.

“Nothing. It’s a Saturday. I’ll rest.”

He nodded. “You deserve it.” I stared at him. “Of course, you do, how does it feel to be a working class?”

“Good. I don’t have to stay at home all day.”

“And how’s work?” I asked.

He smiled. “Busy as ever. I am currently on suspension.” He added.

I stared at him. “Come on…how could you be on suspension?”

“My Father did. Apparently, I am not doing so much well.”

I scoffed. “That’s really serious. I guess you spend more time working then.”

He laughed and pulled up in front of the house. “It’s still raining, and I don’t have an umbrella.”

“It’s okay, I’ll just run along.” I said, trying to open the door. The lock didn’t open. “The locks, David?”

He smiled and released them. “Okay.” He got down from the car and joined me at my door. “I’ll take you in.” he said, and shielded me into the house. He knocked on the door and Ini opened almost immediately.

“Lovely sight.” She said, as she stepped out of the way. “Last night it was Wole bringing Tola in, now David is doing the same, isn’t this romantic?” she said, closing the door.

I shot at her. “Hi!” I said, and disappeared into the house, returning with an umbrella. “Please let me make you a cup of tea.” I offered.

“Nah…I am okay.” He said, standing up. “Thank you.” he said, collecting the umbrella. “You ladies have yourselves a nice weekend. We’ll talk about the house on Sunday.” He said as he headed for the door.

I walked him to the door. “Thank you, David.” I said.

He stared at me. “Why are you thanking me?”

“For everything.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Everything?”

I smiled as I bit my lips. “Yes, everything.”

“Ah…good night, then.” He said, and walked out.

Ini jumped at me. “What did you guys do? Give me the full gist, spare no details. Was it good? I mean it’s your first sex, right?”

Tola shook her head in disagreement. “You are still singing horribly, and I am afraid there’s no future for you, my dear.” She said, as she poured herself a drink.

“Tola, you are not any better. Only Kim has the right to condemn my voice.” Ini shot back. I stared at them as I washed the cabbage. “Only her royal Kimberly can judge me.” she then swung into Chris Brown’s music note. “Please don’t judge me, and I won’t judge you…”

Tola hissed and picked her vibrating phone. “Excuse me.” she said, and left through the back door for the yard.

“That must be Wole calling.” Ini said.

I smiled. “I am happy for them. You needed to see her chat with Mrs. Briggs at the Charity event last night. I think they’ll have a good relationship.” Ini smiled. “I hope that’s genuine, Ini” I said.

“Of course, it is. When is Henry coming?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I have to see Old Rodger today, so maybe I’ll send your greetings to him.”

“I haven’t asked anything of you. I only asked a question.”

I smiled. “Maybe you like him. How’s Marcus?”

“Marcus should be fine.” She replied.

The door bell chimed. “I’ll get it.” I said, and left for the door. I took a peek through the door hole and took a deep breath as I opened the door. “Morning, Ben.”

“Good morning, Kimberly.”

I stood firmly in front of the door. “What’s up?”

“Nothing. I thought you won’t mind taking a stroll. The weather is really good today and I thought we needed to just talk.”

I took a deep breath and let him in. “Ben, I honestly don’t know what you want us to talk about.” I said, ushering him to a seat.

“Kimberly, there could have been a relationship between us.”

I nodded. “Maybe…but you have ruined any opportunity for that to happen, and I have a fiancé.”

“Kimberly, you guys aren’t in love. If you were, you’d have mentioned him at least once. You always feigned being single.”

I shook my head in disagreement. “You assumed that.”

He nodded. “I agree, but you would have said something but you never did.”

“I apologize if you think I led you on, but I need you to understand that David is the only man in my life.”

He shrugged. “That’s what you think, but I’ll never let you go.”

I rubbed some perspiration off my forehead. “Ben, I appreciate your friendship and it would be in our best interests if you don’t ruin what’s left of it.” Ini whistled as she walked past us taking out the trash. I took a deep breath. “So, Ben, let’s leave it this way.”

“Can we still take the walk? At least, as friends? I’ll try living with being your friend; I have to start from somewhere even if I have to start again.”

I was confused. “I don’t understand.”

“I want to re-write my story in your book. Can we be friends?”

I smiled. “Ben…you are my friend.”

He smiled and rose to his feet. “Maybe we’ll take that walk some other time. Boye sends his greetings.”

“Please extend mine to him.” I said, walking him off to the door. “Later…” I said, as he left.

“Hey!” Henry said, as he approached. I took a deep breath. “So, that jackass is your fiancé? How could he be?”

I smiled as I returned into the house. Henry slammed the door after me. “JESUS!”

“What has the son of God done this time?” he shouted.

I rolled my eyes and sank into a chair. “Is there any time we don’t call on God?”

He sat on the edge of my seat. “You didn’t tell me that you had a thing with that jerk.”

I swung my head around and stared at him. “Jerk? That’s my fiancé we are talking about, go easy.” I replied, standing up.

“But he treated you like trash in the supermall that day, and you even refused to go with him in his car.”

I hissed. “Henry, every couple has issues. Why are we flogging this? I can’t even date you.”

“Why?”

I smiled. “Come on, Henry. I can’t and you know it.”

He nodded. “Am I not good enough?”

I paused as I stared at him. “Henry…what’s all these? I thought you have been joking all these while.”

He nodded and took his seat. “I am still joking!!!” he screamed and pushed me into a seat. “I am happy for you.” he said, smiling.

I was feeling uncomfortable. “Henry, your knee is hurting my stomach.” I said, and he released me. “Seriously, so you are with that guy?”

I nodded with a smile. “Cute, right?”

He nodded. “Yes, I like him. Very much…” he stressed with a smile.

“Are you gay?” I asked. Henry’s face was stone. “You don’t have a girlfriend, Henry. Are you gay? You just stressed liking David.”

My eyes blinked and I stepped out into the backyard. “Mom, what is it? Did he hit you again?”

“Of course not, honey. Your father has never raised his hand against me.”

I screamed. “MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just stop! I have heard you cry, I know he beats you. Did he touch you again?” I shouted. The line went dead. “Mom! MOM!!!” I dialed her number but it was switched off. I raced back into the house and changed into a shirt.

Ben scoffed. “Oyinkan, your therapy isn’t working. I still see her and that guy.”

She smiled. “It probably makes you happy, Ben.” She giggled.

“Oyinkan, it’s too hard for me. I have tried your first option; I went to her today and said I want to start again as friends with her.”

She nodded. “That’s beautiful. It would give you a chance to redeem yourself with her, and since you said her fiancé isn’t so crazy about her, you are going to be that man that she can’t go on without.”

He smiled. “Thanks a lot, Oyinkan.” He said, as he poured himself a drink. “How about you, how is it going?”

She shrugged. “Love for me doesn’t exist anymore, but I can at least try to help others.” She replied, sipping her malt.

“What about your cousin?”

She rolled her eyes. “I love him. But I am not in love with him. Those are two different things, Ben.”

“But, it’s not totally absurd, I feel he might be nursing some feelings for you.”

She scoffed. “I know him so well. He has only loved one girl since we were kids and even though I know he may never admit it because he thinks he will feel weak, he is madly in love with his fiancée.”

Ben laughed. “At least, he’s taking a bold step by marrying her. The good thing is that she’ll be his, even though she may never know that he loves her more than she does love him.”

“I think it’s a beautiful feeling in his heart, but he should be able to express it. You men have a lot of issues.”

He nodded. “But why haven’t you tried getting back with your ex?”

She smiled. “EX? That’s a real story that I have left behind in the past.”

“But you should try again, love is all around.”

She nodded. “Yes, I know.”

He smiled and rubbed her cheek. “Thanks for helping me, you don’t know how much this means to me.”

“I understand.”

He nodded. “So, when am I going to know your place? I mean, you have never shown me where you live. I’d love to meet that cousin of yours too. ”

“Mom!” I called, as I raced upstairs. I pushed her room door open. “Mom!!!” I could hear the shower trickle so I rushed into the bathroom, but there was no one there. The shower just ran. “Mom!!!” I called.

He stared at the maid. “Call the other workers and comb the entire house for her.” He ordered. “Let’s check outside.” He said, and led the way. “I’ll check the pool. You could check the garden.” he said.

“Let’s go together.” I said, holding his hand. I was getting scared. As we approached the pool, we saw bubbles. “MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I screamed.

He immediately jumped into the pool. I screamed as I didn’t see any of them. I slowly couldn’t hear myself anymore, it all became white in my head and face……………………………………………………………….

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“I am sorry, Elizabeth. I couldn’t get a hold on her, but I dropped her dozens of messages.”

Elizabeth sobbed and held her sunflower. “My baby’s gone from me.”

“No, Elizabeth. She’ll come. Maybe traffic, maybe she got held up.”

She shook her head in disagreement. “They have taken her too away from me.”

Mother Francesca took a deep breath. “I’ll send someone to find her.”

“You won’t. She’s gone.” She said, as she lay on her bed in tears. “My baby is gone.”

Mother Francesca wiped her tears. “I’ll find her.” She said.

“I want to sleep. Let me sleep.” She said, and shut her eyes.

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I forced my eyelid open as some light came into my eyes. My eyes were wide open, but I had a blur vision, everything looked blurry.

I ran my eyes through the white room, everything looked white or was I imagining things?

“You are awake.” I heard again. “Thank God.” It sounded like David again. I closed and opened my eye and everything became clearer.

A female doctor came over. “Hi…” she said, as she checked me with the stethoscope. “How are you?” she asked.

“My head hurts.” I replied.

She nodded. “It’s normal. You’ll be given some aspirin for your pain; thankfully, you didn’t hit your head badly when you fell. You are really lucky.”

David stared at me. “Hi…”

“David…” I stressed.

He came closer and took his seat. “I am here.”

“Why did you leave me?” I asked, lazily. “I thought you were gone.”

He stroked my hair. “I am sorry.” He kissed my forehead. “Your mom is recuperating, she’s in the next room.” He said.

I smiled. “Thank you for saving her.”

“I was scared of losing you, Kim. Don’t ever do that again.”

I laughed. “You, scared?”

He scoffed. “Come on…not scared. I meant to say ‘worried’.”

I smiled. “It’s okay to be scared, David.”

“But I wasn’t.” he protested.

The doctor came in and beckoned to David. “May I see you, David?”

He stared at me. “I’ll be right back. Don’t fret, okay.”

I nodded and watched him leave. A paper dropped from his pocket on to the bed but I felt too weak to call him back. I picked it and tried to drop it on the side table, but I couldn’t restrain my eyes from seeing what it read: ‘Kim, don’t leave me, and if you do, please know that I have always loved you and I still do.’

I read it over and over again as a smile flushed across my face. I threw it on the floor as soon as the door opened again. He picked up the paper as soon as he took his seat and stashed it into his pocket hurriedly. I couldn’t keep myself from smiling as he stared nervously.

“What’s funny?” he asked.

I shook my head. “Nothing. Could you please help me up?” I asked.

He nodded and bent over to pull me up, but I had other ideas, and as his face came closer to mine, I seized the opportunity and kissed the man I love.

“Ahem!”

David turned with a smile as Ini, Tola and Henry stood before us.

“I thought she was in a critical condition.” Ini said.

He smiled. “Well, it’s less critical now.” He replied, staring at me. I blushed carelessly as Tola winked at me.

My phone rang and David passed it. “Mother Francesca?”

“Kimberly, where have you been all day?”

I sighed. “I am sorry, Mother. I have been a bit indisposed.”

“But, Elizabeth needs you, she has been crying all day.”

I nodded. “Tell her that I’ll be there as soon as possible.” I said, as I cut the call.

“Hey, where are you going?” David asked. “The doctor said you have to rest.”

Tomi Adesina is a screenwriter and fiction series blogger. She wrote the widely read ‘Dear Future Husband’ series(blog series and eBook adaptation) Her blog, Tommyslav’s Island won the best writing blog category (Judges' Choice) in the Nigerian blog Awards (2013). She blogs at http://tommyslav-island.blogspot.com